Radioactive ::
by Jaderkins
Summary: "I'm saying the truth hurts. And no one wants to believe it until they are forced to accept it. It's painful but..." Shadow paused briefly before his tone soften. "I'm afraid that's just how the world is." It is remarkable how similar the pattern of love is to the pattern of insanity. ShadAmy


A soft humming a gentle as the summer breeze and warm to the ears – the sweet innocence pouring in waves of a melodic tune. The voice from a female, a familiar girl in his mind. She was young with flowing blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Her skin was as soft as her touch against his quills. He remembered exactly how she was.

Light illuminated everywhere, he saw nothing but light everywhere. It's always the same dream of light and her melody. A gentle brush over his head, a small comfort. His ruby eyes would twitch, his head moving against soft fabric. He could feel his body beginning to wake up. His mouth giving a slight twitch before his eyes would flicker.

The light beaming around him dimmed, the source being sunlight drawn in through his bedroom window. A soft breeze pushing the curtains against the white walls of his room. An irritating beeping noise from an electronic system beside the bed he laid. Giving a tired grunt, he shifted against the sheets over him and felt a sharp pain. Sitting up was suddenly out of the question.

White bandages covered his abdomen along with a small bandage over his arm and right leg. There was a tiny band aid over his eyebrow moist from cold sweat. Frowning, Shadow would quickly scan the room around him. White walls, light blue curtains, simple hospital bed with silver railings, beeping heart monitor, a few hospital drawers and two large windows. One with a view of the hospital's parking lot.

Using one ungloved hand to brush his face tiredly as if to wipe away all the sleep, his fingers rubbed into his temples a moment before quickly looking up at the door on his left.

A pair of teal eyes blinked in surprise. A white bat gasped lightly and closed the door behind her. Her ears lowered lightly at the sight of him before she gave a signature lip glossed smile, "Hey, sleepy head! How are you feeling?"

Jumping quick to the first thing on his mind – He replied to Rouge, "... Where am I? How did I get here?" His voice then jump to another question, "Has anything happened recently in headquarters?"

Rouge grunted and pushed a chair over to his bed, sighing at Shadow's typical behavior, "As usual, work frist, everything else later." Sitting up in the chair, she rested her arms on the silver bars of the bed. "You were almost killed – **again**. And you want me to talk about work like it never happened?"

Shadow returned a frown and cross his arms delicately.

Grimacing, Rouge remained on her friendly side and hummed to him, "Well, I'm just glad they found you in one piece. That Airplane crash was brutal... I almost thought it was the end of you."

Shadow looked up, "... an Airplane crash?"

In a single blink, the familiar topic suddenly clicked something in his head. There was a mission he was sent on to pick up someone from being an enemies' hostage. It was planned for days and when it finally came around to the right day... something wasn't right about it.

"Shadow, do you remember anythi—"

He cut her off, "... Yes, I remember. Does the military know my whereabouts?" he brushed his fingers over the bridge of his nose and squinted lightly. Rouge took a breath and reported, "They know your whereabouts... Surprised but they are relieved to know you're not dead."

The ebony Hedgehog grunted, "Like they care about my safety and health. The only thing they care about is my success." He'd huffed and tossed the blanket off his feet. Rouge continued, "Aaaanyways ~ they don't want you to step a foot out of the hospital unless it's an emergency."

A sigh left him, eyes rolling to the ceiling as another thought clicked in. He shook his head in slight worry and gave a quiet mumble, "... Does Amy know?"

Rouge hesitated and sat up, "... Amy? – Hey, lay back down!"

He tried to remain calm, "... does AMY KNOW."

Rouge sat back down and shook her head, "... I'm afraid not. Well, I'll be really honest, I don't know. No one's been able to get a hold of her. I've even went over to her house a couple times... and you – know her and I aren't exactly the closest."

Shadow gave a small nod and grimaced in reply. He dangled his feet over the bed a moment and hummed to himself, "... Damn."

Rouge quickly spoke again, "Your mission wasn't... entirely – a failure. I was sent to retrieve the hostage after the crash. There's was a lot of doubt until the hospital called when they found you washed up on the shores of some beach. The citizens were really freaked out."

"How did you know where to find the hostage?" Shadow asked.

A small shrug from the bat implied softly, "... You told me over the comlink the minute I was sent to back you up."

An awkward silence left them both in thought, Shadow lingered a moment before attempting to stand up. The moment he laid pressure on his feet, pain shot up to his calf muscles and chest. He gave a painful curse and steadied himself behind the bed. In a second, Rouge was around the corner and taking his arm to assist him.

"Hey, Hey – I said get back in bed!" her tone annoyed by his stubbornace. Her brows furrowed as she watched him carefully. "Look, if this is about Rose – I can look for her, hun. I can tell her what happened and bring her here if that would help."

Blinking, Shadow listened to his bat companion. Letting her help him back into the white bed and pull the blankets back over him. His mind in a race of thoughts before he replied, "... it wouldn't matter." His eyes averted away from the bat as he settled his head against the pillows.

Rouge's face dropped lightly as a shrug followed, "... Why? I thought you and her had something going on?" Shadow shot her a look and grunted, "... What? Amy and I?" He gave his head a crazy shake with a hard look in return. "You know as well as I do that girl's head if filled with nothing but her so called undying love for Sonic the hedgehog. I highly doubt she could even give up her admiration to even put up with me."

"Somehow I doubt that's the real reason why ... so, you were just _using_ her?" Rouge walked around the bed, looking at him with a know-it-all smirk. Shadow's eyes followed her as she sat back down in her chair.

A quick reply answered her question, "No – I..." His voice suddenly lost its confidence and a thoughtful frown returned to his face, pondering at his own indecisive self.

The white bat was taken by surprise as she chuckled, "... well, I'm not a doctor but I can tell when you're lying. So what _really_ happened?"

Shadow gave a light scowl, "... I went on a 'date' with her – I was killing time, Rouge! Isn't that something you do as well with that Red echidna?"

Rouge gave a dry laugh, "Touché. Well at least your sense of humor hasn't changed..."

Pulling the chair a bit closer, she sat down again and looked at him softly as if implying for him to go on. Shadow grunted and raised a brow at her, "... Nothing happened."

"That's what they all say, I'm afraid." She smiled at him. "... C'mooon, Shades. We go back as... companions since the ARK happened. I was more devastated and upset back then too when you didn't return. And helping Sonic defeat metal sonic with the team..."

The ebony hedgehog nodded and swayed his head slightly sarcastic, "... I know. I do not doubt our friendship at all, Rouge. I just don't understand much recently..."

Perking up, Rouge crossed her legs and smiled at him, "... Then no secrets. Spill the beans, hun."

Shadow grimaced but couldn't help the soft smile that tugged on his lips. It was almost always like this between them. Gossip had always been on the sidelines, when free time had been available. Rouge wasn't joking when it was always work first. But beneath the military sternness and seriousness of being agents, they still acted freely like... 'Teenagers'.

But Rouge had always spoken freely of herself and trusted Shadow with her secrets – just as he would trust her to do the same in return. With his weak grimace remaining, he looked at her a moment before rolling his eyes briefly.

A weak approval had left his lips, "... What do you want to know?"

Rouge gave a funny smirk and chuckled, "... Oh, don't start pouting – I can almost hear your pride shattering." She patted his leg in a careful, friendly manner and hummed, "Now... what's up with you and Amy?"

After a lingering second, he silently knew he was going to regret this but proceeded only because he knew a lot more dirt on Rouge and – fair was fair after all. Taking a second to answer he started slowly, "... I met Rose when she was cornered by a couple of egg man's robots. She was... as usual – chasing that damn faker everywhere he went. I knew she could... I'm SURE Sonic knew as well – that she can take care of herself. But this day – she got badly injured while defending herself and that faker didn't stop once to help her. I'm not even sure he could hear her screaming out his name at him. I heard the fight a couple of streets away and ran over to check it out." The ebony hedgehog paused and slowly pieced everything in his memories...

A painful scream as shrill as a siren filled the air. A pink female hedgehog stumbled onto the ground violently. With her hammer thrown out of reach and gashes across her body from laser burns – she found herself helpless but not yet defeated. Amy's glare was filled with determination and anger by the horde of robots closing in for the kill. Red shining eyes all laid on her as a second current target.

"Back off!" Amy hissed as she forced herself to stand up and kick one of the robots violently enough to throw it onto its back. The single startled bot started flailing in a panicked frenzy. In this advantage, the pink hedgehog dashed around the cluster of metal and grabbed the metal handle of her piko-piko hammer. Swinging it expertly over her shoulder to prepare for another Amy Rose beat down.

"You ruined my favourite dress! Prepare to pay for it, bot boys!" Rose growled, jumping onto the fallen Robot from before and smacked its circular chest with her giant hammer. Demolishing its body one pound after another with her weapon, reducing it into scrap metal. As her attention was on one bot, the other robots watched a moment in calculated fear. But as Rose paid more attention on laying her anger out on one dead bot, she had almost forgotten the others watching close from behind. As her guard was down, another bot took its chance and smashed his hammer horizontally, sending Rose flying off her feet and into the pavement wall of a boutique.

Unable to catch her breath from impact, Amy landed on the sidewalk, powerless. Her back sore and numb from the attack, the back of her head pulsing in a lulling rhythm that didn't match her heart pounding like a war drum inside of her.

A whimper would left her soft lips as she watched the robots approach her. No matter how much she willed herself to stand up and fight again, her body would not respond at all. The pain would begin to settle and ache through her arms and legs. The only response she was given was to tremble. Fear finally found her and she shivered in the shadows of approaching robots.

Tears stung her eyes, hot and threatening to spill over her muzzle. Amy tossed her head up and gave one final scream out for her hero – her _love_ to come and rescue her, "SOOOONIC!"

Burrowing herself, Amy expected the worst but instead there was a sudden sound of electric sparking. A shredding noise of bent metal and computer noises from another robot. The others turned and stared at the robot standing with a hollow hole through his insides. With no reaction, the damaged bot fell backwards with a heavy crash. Another forceful noise blew another bot off its feet and collided against a street light, the damage being done by a cycling red light bouncing in a familiar homing attack.

Looking up from her injured arms, Amy perked up happily as she watched the robots being blown off and attacked by her hero.

"Oh, Sonic! I knew you would... huh?" her happiness turned into a sudden frown, _that's not Sonic..._ Landing on top of a broken robot, the ebony hedgehog finished his assault and gave a sudden huff at the enemies malfunctioned or destroyed in his path.

His crimson eyes lied on Amy. But with no meaning – no emotion aside from the same bored, dull look he always wore. There was no need for thanks or any kindness to spare, without saying a word Shadow walked off the dissembled robot and start walking away.

If only it were that easy. Amy's scream stopped him in mid step, "SHADOW! That's incredibly rude, you know! I appreciate the rescuing but you could at least ask me if I am alright!?"

Shadow released a quiet sigh and turned back to look at Amy, "Honestly, Rose – it's typical of you to run into these situations but does Sonic even give a moment to ask you if you're still breathing?" Amy's mouth opened several times to start something but not finding the right answer to back fire Shadow's question. Her lips became a firm crease, far from being scolded like a child.

Raising a hand to gesture her look, he smirked before implying darkly, "So why should I?"

Amy's lips trembled as much as her arms, her tears rolling off her face onto her red dress. Her lips moved to her stuttering, "... because I can't move my legs."

Shadow bored stance remained with his arms crossed. Giving a few head shakes and ear scratches, he grumbled and approached the injured female.

He kneeled infront of her and quickly scanned her injuries. Her knees were scuffed and red from hitting the pavement, small burns marked her legs and arms – her right side where her dress had ripped was half melted and covered in crimson. There was a moment he admitted to himself privately that he was being a jerk but Amy was different than any normal hedgehog or mobian Shadow had ever come across. She had less experience in fighting then Sonic but she was stubborn and had a higher tolerance for pain.

In this situation, he knew at some point Amy would find the strength to take herself home. Or someone would find her – there were many alternatives that could help her if he had walked away.

But at this second, it was already too late. Amy needed his assistance and there was nothing important that needed to be done at this second. His last mission was 6 hours ago and he hadn't heard anything from Rouge or headquarters since. He had time to kill.

In his usually annoyed manner, Shadow knelt on to one knee, opening his arms towards her. In return, she gave him a fumbled look of surprise and embarrassment before complying. His gloved hands carefully slipped under her legs and back, adjusting his fingers not brush or apply pressure on her wounds. Her weight was no problem, in his brutal opinion she was a lot lighter then Rouge but he would never admit that to anyone of course.

"Rose?" The ebony hedgehog gave a questioning dull tone.

Amy shot him a questioning look, "Oh, right. I live on the other side of town – A white house."

"I know where you live. But you'll have to hold on to me or I'll drop you." He remarked, gesturing her arms over her chest with his crimson eyes. A dry, weak laugh followed by a scoff would leave the pink hedgehog's lips, "... and that's not creepy at all."

A single raised brow from the ebony hedgehog held him back from a tempting eye roll. Without any more questions or more warnings, Shadow took off down the empty street. A suppressed noise muffled from Amy as she was literally swept away. She felt nervous by the fact the only thing between her and the pavement was her 'hero's thick black arms. Only when Shadow decided to take detours through the cities alleys and over buildings far too quickly did she begin to panic more. However her arms remained over her chest or eyes when something came too close to impacting them – It was almost like he was purposely doing this to make her hold on.

A wail from Amy after being swept under a honking transport truck finally broke the pink hedgehog. She buried her head into the crook of his neck and swung her arms over him. With her arm thrown against his mouth, he muffled a grunt to himself and recovered from almost falling, spinning carefully to the end of the sidewalk and glancing at Amy with a blank look.

After a moment, Rose blinked and looked up. Her lips would purse with a matching frown, her green eyes a shade darker as she yelled at the male holding her.

"Shadow, that was not funny! Are you trying to get us killed?!"

An amused shrug would answer her before he replied, "I told you to hang on, Rose."

Grumbling, Amy would adjust her arms lower over his other shoulder – her face becoming almost as red as her torn dress. Shadow would shrug, excusing it for adjusting her better in his arms before starting to walk the last few blocks.

"Ohhhh, now you start walking – I see what you did there! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're hitting on me!" she accused in an angry tone. Turning her head away, she'd huff in a wise tone. "Nice try, Shadow the hedgehog – I've already locked away my heart for Soni—"

A rougher shift under his arms would cut Amy off sentence. A hard grunt left his mouth before he replied in a sarcastic tone, "That's nice of you to guess my motives. But don't make me regret this by taking you home. If anything, you could do me a favor by being quiet – and **thankful** that I didn't leave you on that street."

Biting her tongue, Amy remained silent. As much as she wanted to kick, scream and pulverise the black hedgehog – he was right. He did save her life and he was being oddly kind enough to take her home. Taking back her arms, she firmly crossed them against her chest once again. Her ears narrowed as silence and the noises of the city filled in the awkward silence for them both.

At some point, her home was in sight. A white house surrounded in darkness with no porch light to illuminate the entrance, she left rather early to do some shopping and had mixed up in other distractions to even bother coming home once. Her walk way had always been planted with flowers like daisies, forget-me-nots, tulips and assorted unnamed ones that she knew gave off the welcoming vibe.

Somehow, Shadow had found his way through the path in the dark and lowered his back lightly to place Amy onto her feet. She wobbled at first and caught her footing, turning to her door before looking at him, "... Erm, Thank you for taking me home like this. I guess I haven't been as thankful the whole way but I really do mean it. I mean – if Sonic had been around maybe things would be different..."

Shaking his head, Shadow crossed his arms and sighed, "Rose, I'm not the type to give advice nor do I expect you or anyone else to follow it. But if Sonic was truly around – you really think this would have been any different for you like it has been for years?"

Amy became suddenly silent. Shadow winced slightly, expecting a punch in the face or angry rambling before a slammed door. But for once, the pink hedgehog did nothing but stood and stared at Shadow thoughtfully.

She replied lightly under a mumble, "I just don't know when to give up."

A grimace and an honest nod followed from him in reply.

Her gloved hands slowly caught her lowering head. She swayed lightly as she took a step off her porch and sat down on the edge, her eyes watering as she cradled herself. Shadow watched her, unable to sympathize for many reasons.

Her tears stung her eyes, forming at the corners and threatening to spill past her cheeks. Amy tilted her head away and smiled, laughing weakly, "I'm so stubborn to the point I just never know when to give up. I spent my childhood dreaming of perfect fairy tales of troubled princesses being saved by knights and shining armor. I wasted so many wishes just wanting to have that perfect fairy tale – the happy ending I was so determined that I would get one day."

Shadow winced a bit annoyed but he let her go on, his tone remained dull but calm, "... I guess it can't be helped. I didn't want to listen to anyone at one point either – I rather chose to die then give up on everything Maria had given for me. Her promise and her sacrifice..."

Amy turned her head and looked at him, "... Are you... trying to comfort me?"

His crimson eyes laid on her, meeting her green orbs. His head lowered before turning away to look at the night sky, "I'm saying the truth hurts. And no one wants to believe it until they are forced to accept it. It's painful but..." Shadow paused briefly before his tone soften. "I'm afraid that's just how the world is."

Shifting his weight onto another leg, Shadow continued, "... Look, all I'm saying is life is short, Rose. It's too short to be chasing fairy tales and knights – or destruction and peace in my case. Make the right choices but the ones you won't second guess or regret later in your life. Maybe there is this... so called knight and armor out there for you. Perhaps all you're doing wrong is chasing the wrong guy."

Amy brushed her face roughly but couldn't stop her gaze from staring at the ebony hedgehog standing behind her. This side of him – it was like a whole new hedgehog had been hiding under a mysterious, shady character all this time. Since when had he been this thoughtful or kind...?

Biting her lip, she felt the silence had taken over long enough. Standing up carefully, she took a step back onto the porch, flustering in a shy manner towards him, "... I'm sorry. I don't know what has come over me. Ohmygawd, you're probably already sick and tired of my whining and crying."

Shadow looked at her, his arms at his sides. His red eyes seemed to be thoughtful but directed at Amy gently. It seemed their small talk had lowered his defenses around her.

He spoke carefully in a low tone, "Don't worry about it. Just stop crying, clean yourself up and... Get some sleep."

Amy lingered, wondering how on earth he could say that with a straight face and still come off somewhat friendly. But she understood what he meant, even if he didn't express it the right way. She turned her back and took the door knob, looking over her shoulder to bid Shadow a good night. But finding the hedgehog had already taken off, disappearing out of sight.

A soft weak smile pulled at her lips gently as she limped into her house.


End file.
